Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is the latest speaker to join the TED Talk-caliber roster of presenters at CDMN Canada 3.0 2013, which is organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network. Canada 3.0 is the annual culminating event for CDMN’s world-class commercialization activities like international soft landings, sharing of best practices, online collaboration and access to expertise and research that enables Canadian digital media companies to succeed at home and abroad.

This two-day long conference for business leaders and IT executives celebrates Canadian achievements in the commercialization of digital media, defined as information and communications technology (ICT) and mobile innovations. It also provides attendees with the tools to grow their businesses, and make powerful connections to prospective partners and clients. To create more points of interaction, this year, CDMN Canada 3.0 has added 65 mentoring lunches that will give attendees exclusive access to proven, Canadian entrepreneurs who understand how to effectively do international business, grow a business and improve productivity through the deployment of digital media.

“Canada has an abundance of talented people with creative ideas, but can, and must do a better job commercializing those ideas so that all Canadians can prosper from the jobs and wealth that are the byproduct of a successful digital economy,” says Dr. Kevin Tuer, CDMN Managing Director. “The CDMN’s purpose is to accelerate this process, and our Canada 3.0 conference combines key learning from our more than 20 regional commercialization hubs across Canada, with insights from leading international experts to help the next generation of entrepreneurs succeed.”

CDMN Canada 3.0 2013 will be held on May 14 and 15 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Now in its fifth year, CDMN’s Canada 3.0 goes beyond social media marketing to discuss a range of issues from entrepreneurship to talent, and attracting investment to gamification with ideas coming from business elites, government representatives and academic leaders. CDMN Canada 3.0 2013 will be the site of the inaugural CDMN Moonshot Awards presentation. Nominations for the awards, established to recognize Canadian companies that create jobs and wealth for Canada through innovation in digital media, are being accepted until 11:59pm ET on April 12, 2013.

Chris Anderson, best-selling author and former Editor-in-Chief of Wired magazine

Jane McGonigal, game designer, futurist and best-selling author

Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin

Emcee Amber Macarthurwill run the show and guide attendees through a variety of featured sessions. Canada 3.0 delegates can also attend presentations by GRAND AGM keynote speakers, CBC broadcasters Terry O’Reilly and Jian Ghomeshi.

Featured Breakout Sessions

CDMN Canada 3.0 sessions will focus on the five primary contributing factors to achieving the CDMN’s Moonshot goal, announced at CDMN Canada 3.0 2010: that anyone can do anything online in Canada by 2017.

Access toTalent sessions will cover topics like successful international business, feature founders of successful Canadian businesses that have experienced Y Combinator and returned to Canada to grow their businesses, how women in tech can and should “Lean In.”

Access to capital sessions will look at topics relating to funding a business for growth.

The Canada 3.0 Soapbox is still gathering user ideas for conference programming on day two: add your ideas and vote on topics online.

Participants have also the exclusive opportunity to attend the conference kick-off on Monday, May 13: the Canadian premiere of SIDE by SIDE, a film produced by Canadian superstar Keanu Reeves that documents the science, art and impact of digital cinema through interviews with industry heavyweights like Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh and George Lucas. Sponsored by TVO, the film will be followed by a live Q&A with the film’s co-producer Justin Szlasa, who will be speaking with TVO commissioning editor, Jane Jankovic about the seismic impact the digital revolution has had on the film industry and what takeaways there are for other industries still navigating the transition. Seating is limited and tickets are available only to Canada 3.0 delegates through the conference’s online community.

Who Should Attend?

IT decision-makers at small, medium and large enterprises looking to connect with prospective partners, resources, mentors, and investors in order to build traction in Canada and internationally, drive operational efficiencies, successfully scale a business and/or expand into new markets.

For one or two-day tickets and sponsorship details visit the Conference website.

CDMN Canada 3.0 is made possible through the support of the following sponsors and partners: